Inside the Phillies with MLB.com beat writer Todd Zolecki

Hamels Sharp, Lidge Sharp

Leaving Sun Life Stadium in a few minutes, but I thought I’d pass along a few Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge notes:

Hamels is 5-3 with a 1.79 ERA in his last 13 starts, and has allowed just one run in his last 31 2/3 innings. “It seems like he’s the Cole of ’06, ’07, ’08,” Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla said. “He’s been lights out this year.”

Hamels threw a career-high 127 pitches, so he said an extra day of rest before Monday’s start against Atlanta will be beneficial.

Hamels snapped his streak of 25 consecutive scoreless innings when he allowed a run in the first inning.

His 13 strikeouts were the most for a Phillies pitcher since he struck out 13 Marlins on June 11, 2008.

He has 201 strikeouts this season, which is tied with Roy Halladay for second in the National League.

Lidge had not pitched since Sept. 6, but threw a perfect ninth inning to pick up his 22nd save. Lidge had missed a couple days because of a hyperextended right elbow. He said he felt fine.

Lidge is 0-0 with a 0.52 ERA and 12 saves in 13 opportunities in 18 appearances since July 31. In 17 1/3 innings, he has allowed just seven hits, two runs, one earned run and three walks. He has struck out 18 and opponents have hit just .119 against him.

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J.C. Ramirez, one of the three guys in the Cliff Lee trade, had surgery on his right hip last week. I’ll have more on this tomorrow, and how the early returns are not good with Phillippe Aumont‘s demotion to Class A Clearwater and Tyson Gillies‘ hamstring injuries and arrest for a felony cocaine possession.

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Call me crazy, but this photo of Hamels reminded me of the fight scenes in the Batman TV show, where they shot everything on an angle. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, click here and go to the 2:35 mark.

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The Zo Zone is on Facebook and Twitter. My Phillies book “The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly” is available online, and at Delaware Valley bookstores!

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2 Comments

Hamels looked so good. He seems to have his “hiccups” under control. A true prodigious, Carltonesk performance. More, importantly, it is that time of the year when the math gets simpler and the numbers smaller. It is “Magic Number Time”. In the last 10 games alone the Phillies magic number has decreased by 13 out of a possible 20. Not too shabby. .650 is pretty good in any league.

Zo, sorry to quibble about the writing, but you are supposed to be a professional at it.

You wrote, “The Phillies converted Aumont from a reliever to a starter and changed his mechanics in Spring Training, which they attributed to his struggles. ” You got the causation backwards. The way you wrote it, their changing his mechanics in spring training was caused by his struggles during the season. Should have written, “…Training, to which they attribute his struggles.”

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